Monroe Rotary ‘Service Above Self’ Award Dinner

Posted on 7 May 2008 under Special Events | 2 Comments

I had a bit of fun yesterday evening at the Monroe Rotary “Service Before Self” award dinner at the Ambassador Hall in Monroe. Before things got rolling for the dinner, Dan Shaw walked in. Dan’s the Managing Editor of the Monroe News, the founder of BlogsMonroe.com … basically, he and I created the whole “Luna Pier Cook” thing, which he still manages and tracks along with the 50 or so other blogs on the site. However, as part of my medical issues from a couple months ago, I had Mary shave off my beard. So when I called Dan over, the whole time he was walking over he had that look on his face of, “Geez, do I even know this guy???” I shook his hand and sat there smiling, letting him think on it for another long moment … and then I said my name. To say that he was surprised is an understatement! Dan and I haven’t seen each other since the Monroe County Fair last August, and it was good to see him again.

Mary and I hadn’t been to Ambassador Hall until last night’s award dinner and really didn’t know where it was. I’ll tell you what, Joe Perna has a great place! The space itself is gorgeous, with plenty of mirrors, murals, and a ceiling painted sky-blue with clouds. The tables are beautiful, and the wait-staff is very attentive, especially for a buffet. Most everything is quite professional.

The menu for last night’s award dinner was almost perfectly done:

  • - Tossed Salad with House and Ranch dressings
  • - Chicken Guiseppe - Joe’s own recipe, chicken breast sauteed with onions and mushrooms in a light white wine sauce
  • - Homemade Meatballs in Marinara Sauce
  • - Mostaccioli with Red Sauce
  • - Redskin Potatoes
  • - Green Beans Almondine
  • - Dinner Roll & Butter
  • … and some massive cakes you had to see to believe. (6″ thick two-layer sheet cakes … but the pics didn’t turn out!)

We had some great company at our table, including Charlie and Irma McIntyre, and Rev. Michael Thomas, head of the Monroe County Salvation Army, with his wife Mary. As to the other two people at our “farthest from the stage” table …

In the photo below you can see the reason we attended last night’s award dinner. Ken Kruzel, Luna Pier Fire Chief and Mary’s Mayor Pro-Tem, was honored yesterday evening for quite a few accomplishments above-and-beyond what his duties are. Chef Chief Kruzel, shown with his wife Lt. Angie Kruzel (also one of our firefighters), had been nominated for the “Service Before Self” award by Mary. While the Chief did not receive the award, he was recognized at the dinner by emcee Dr. David Nixon, President of Monroe County Community College, who read the Mayor’s complete nomination for Ken to receive the award to about 300 attendees. (Dr. Nixon mistakenly read Ken’s title as “Chef Kruzel”, a mistake we’re sure will stay with Ken for a while!) We’re quite proud to have Ken working with Mary here in Luna Pier, and are lucky to have him as our Fire Chief.

‘Monroe’s Biggest Idol’ IS The Frog Leg Inn’s Chef Tad Cousino!

Posted on 28 April 2008 under Chefs, Special Events | No Comments

Executive Chef Tad Cousino of the Frog Leg Inn in Erie, Michigan won the Big Brothers/Big Sisters “Monroe’s Biggest Idol” competition Saturday evening at the Meyer Theater in the La-Z-Boy Conference Center at Monroe County Community College.

Yesterday afternoon, I found the winner on a John Deere lawnmower, happily mowing someone else’s lawn.

He described for me his performance of Billy Joel’s Piano Man: “I’ve sang in front of crowds many times, but I’ve never played piano while singing. But it was like my fingers were on auto-pilot … they knew what they were doing. I was just watching them doing the runs! All I had to do was focus on the singing.”

As to how he introduced his performance of Michael Boublet’s Home: “They could see most of a tuxedo, but I also had on my Chef’s coat. [It’s a thick white double-breasted linen with black piping.] I told the crowd how my wife had made me work during intermission! I removed the Chef’s coat, and the tuxedo jacket was underneath. They really liked that. I then asked if there were any Boublet fans in the audience, and after the cheering died down I said ‘I’m not’. That got a good laugh!”

Chef Tad has sang for years at Crossroads Community Church at both their older Temperance location and the church’s current location in Ottawa Lake southeast of exit #1 and US-23 in Michigan. With a Michigan Wine Dinner at his own restaurant last Thursday, a rehearsal on Friday and the “Monroe’s Biggest Idol” competition on Saturday, he’s been doing more than just burning the candle at both ends. Still, today he leaves town for a few days to attend a food show somewhere up north.

I hope at some point soon to be able to post video of Chef Tad’s winning performances at the 2008 Big Brothers/Big Sisters “Monroe’s Biggest Idol” competition.

Photos: Clay, Minus the -mation

Posted on 26 April 2008 under Fairs, Photos, Special Events | No Comments

Yesterday evening I attended the Tecumseh High School Spring Art Show. Some of the clay sculpture entries were of food, some of which included commercial wrappers from what they were based on. These are a few of my favorites.

MDA Lock-Up at the Frog Leg Inn, and Accident Details

Posted on 29 February 2008 under Restaurant Chit-Chat, Special Events | No Comments

So yesterday morning, the call came. “Dave, there’s going to be a great photo op over here today … it’s the MDA Lock-Up and there’s already three limos parked next to the restaurant!” Grabbing my gear I headed for the Frog Leg Inn and found exactly that, with lots of activity inside the restaurant.

Now, I had intended to tell you the story of the whole day in this post. Instead, since my right shoulder’s fairly sore today, I set up the Photo Gallery on the restaurant’s web site to tell the majority of the story. There are 19 images in that gallery featuring Luna Pier City Administrator Greg Stewart, along with shots of other participants, some of the volunteers and, of course, the food. (Mary was asked if they could arrest her as well but she works too far away for that to have been practical.)

As to yesterday’s limousine accident: I wanted to get video of Greg being arrested, so I was along for the ride. Ron, the driver, had asked if I wanted to sit in the rear of the limo, but I wanted to sit up front so I could shoot the vehicle’s approach to City Hall before Ron “arrested” Greg. At about noon we had dropped off two of the morning’s participants in Lambertville and Ron had “arrested” a gal at an insurance agency in the Bedford area.

We were headed north on Secor on our way to Luna Pier City Hall so Ron could “arrest” Greg and were about to pass through the intersection at Erie Road … when the maroon minivan seen in yesterday’s photo pulled out from a full stop and headed west right in front of us. (Secor Road doesn’t have Stop signs at that intersection while Erie Road does.) Ron pulled left to get around her but she just kept going. He did everything he could (including yelling!) to stop that limo but at about 45 mph there was far too much momentum. The limo hit her minivan from the driver’s door forward, shoving her vehicle 90 degrees around to head north on Secor, while the limo literally ground into the pavement to a stop just short of a telephone pole.

The driver of the minivan would be my only real concern, but as I never learned her name I’ll likely never find out how much she was injured. I heard late yesterday the gal from the insurance agency was fine, was the person who called 911 and took over from me to assist with the woman in the minivan while I directed traffic till police got there. And Ron’s likely back on the job today.

This incident is one of those proofs that, indeed, you never know what will happen.

Eat This Blog: Muskrat Dinner at Erie VFW Post 3295

Posted on 26 January 2008 under Eat This Blog, Game Cooking, Michigan Cuisine, Photos, Special Events | 2 Comments

In a nutshell: This dinner, a Muskrat Dinner served at Erie VFW Post 3295 yesterday evening, was far nicer, far tastier, far more satisfying than I had imagined it would be. There was no “gaminess” to the meal I ate, which you can see in the above photo. Mary said she had one bite that tasted “off”. Other than that, we cleaned our plates.

Imagine a good roast beef, rich and flavorful, so tender it falls apart, cooked with strips of bacon and some carrots and onions for extra flavor. Add tiny annoying bones that you have to keep fishing out of your mouth no matter how careful you are, plus a couple textural surprises on occasion that aren’t difficult to deal with. Top with banana peppers, serve with smooth mashed taters, creamed corn … and freshly made turtle soup, complete with okra.

Oh yeah, baby. That there’s some good eatin’!

More after the jump …

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